The Albury Gold Cup is finally here.
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After the previous two race days were overshadowed by wet weather in 2019, where there was a crowd but no race, and the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 where there was a race but no crowd, the Albury Racing Club is set to host close to 10,000 race-goers at the track on Friday for the first time in three years.
Racing boss Steve Hetherton said everything is ready to go for a day full of races, entertainment and celebration.
And tickets are still available, with plans to sell "whatever is left" at the gate.
Mr Hetherton said while there is around 2500 general admission tickets still to be sold, they are still encouraging race-goers to purchase online to avoid missing out.
"We still have tickets left, but what will save people queuing up at the gate, will be to purchase their tickets online," he said.
"But if they aren't sold out, they will be sold at the gate.
"We anticipate Friday morning to be the biggest morning for ticket sales.
"We will still be encouraging people to purchase tickets on their phones at the gate when they arrive.
"But there will be tickets at the gate if it comes down to that, but they could be sold out as well."
The crowd is capped at 9800 due to the existing NSW government rules in place for COVID-19.
Mr Hetherton said race-goers should expect the gold cup atmosphere to remain the same, despite some other safety precautions in place.
"We are encouraging social distancing while at the track, with security guards making sure people are distancing while in lines for food and drink," he said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"There are precautions in place, but we are just excited to have a big crowd back for the gold cup.
"We have been watching the weather and we expect it to be a perfect 27 degrees.
"It is really exciting for our community to come and experience our premier race day once again.
"And there are some really great races and entertainment for everyone to enjoy.
"Whether you are coming for the quality race fields or the entertainment it will be a great day for everyone.
"And I think we are all just looking forward to having both crowds and races on at the same time."
All race club marquee tickets are now sold out.
The first race will be run at 1.20pm.